The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-19

I
him ~ judge and not as man, aud hat
the motive for sending it WAS 10 influence
his judicial contuct. As these passes were
never seut to him except when he was on the
bench it is to he supposed that they were
not merely charitable gifts, or friendly offer
ings hut, even if this we're so. he objected
TO being an object OF charity under just such
circumstances
Owing 10 circumstances beyond his con
troll, or possibly because he had some old
fashioned sctuples about using some of the
more effective means by which circumstances
are now controlled in 81 CHI cases, he was not
re-,lecte in 1879 After 1879 he again
practiced law while. but he has now ceased
TO take the same interest in the controversies
Of others that he once did, and the active
duties of his professional life are now sub
s,antially over.
During his service as Judge he was Of
course called upon to act in many important
eases. but the case which attracted the atten
tien Of the public as much or more than any
other was that of ?he People vs., George Gates
for the murder Of Daniel Liley, it being the
only instance in this county Of conviction
where there WAS an execution on the scitiold,
The motive for the crime was 10 obtain the
money which Liley had about his person,
and the instrument used WAS a scythe with
out a suath attached, and the place Of the
killing WAS not far from the boundary line
between La Sale and Livingston co mites.
The scythe had been purchased by Liley in
Ottawa, and the two had walked together to
the place of killing, Gates having carried the
scythe at the places where the parties were
seen along their route. The details are, per
hsps. unimportant. The case went to the
Supreme Court, where the judgment was
affirmed. 1t is reported in the 18th Ill. p.
433. Some who read this sketch may re
member the execution, and also recolect
seeing the rain.drenched crowd Of men,
women and children. who also came to wit
ness It. The sentence Of the court was as
follows, a: published in the FREE TRADER
After q protracted trial, in which you
have had the benefit of all those safeguards
which the humane policy Of the law pro
vides for the accused, defended by counsel
who, with marked zeal and ability, have
urged every consideration tending to show
your innocence, and tried with cautious
delberaion before an impartial and unpre'
JUDGED jury of far more than ordinary in
teligence, you have been guilty of the cool,
premeditated and malicious murder Of q
brother man; not committed while the tlood
was reused by anger, nor to avenge wrong,
with no palliating..circums,anc TO entitle you
to sympathy, but with sole motive Of an I'm.
hallowed desire of gain.
Oi the truth Of the finding of the jury, the
Court entertains neither reasonable or an
imaginary doubt. Although the character OF
the evidence was entirely circums,antial,
there was n clearness, consistency and
strength in it which rendered it impossible
to doubt, and which irresistibly compelled
the mind to the conclusion that Daniel Siley
was by you most foully and inhumanly muir
dered; that with GOODNESS, calmness and de-
lberatlon--with the outward semhlance of
frienjship-with Il smile upon your face,
Kindness in your tone and manner, and
deadly malice in your heart you accompanied
him along his route, with liked and settled
determination to destroy him in order to de.
prive him of the hard earned fruits of his
industry; and that in the solitude Of that
prairie, where his body is now Wondering
away, with yet light enough TO strike surely
and with the darkness, upon which you re-
lied for concealment, just closing around
you, you perpetrated the horrid deed which
has not only destroyed your unfortunate
and unsuspecting victim, but which by the
law of the lana, under the sentence of the
Court, now about to be passed upon you, will
soon terminate your existence upon earth,
and place you at another bar to enter upon
another trial infinitely more momentous than
that through which you have just passed. The
punishment for such an oAense as that which
you have committed and in my judgment
wisely so, is death.
Under that law, and for the security of the
community over which it stretches its protect
ing arm, it is necessary that you should die.
From this fate there can be no escape. There
is no hope Of executive interposition--none
whatever.
The enormity of the ofense you have com
mitted, and the frightful frequency with
which of late human life has been inten-
tionally destroyed, render it absolutely ne
cessary for the protection Of society when,
as in this case, conviction has been legally
and properly had, that the law should have
its course.
You should therefore consider it as fixed
certain and unav oidable that your life is fast
drawing to a close. Lay aside the assumed
air of reckless indifference which you ha> e
manifested upon your trial. 1t Ill becomes
a dying man. When death, which is so
near at hand, shall come, be prepared to
meet it with becoming spirit of contriuon
and humility. With you the cares and sor-
rows of this world will soon be over. Eter
nifty is at hand. BE ready. Commence i'm
mediately to prepare to meet your God, be
fore Whom you must so seon appear.
| have made these remarks, painful rs
they are to myself, and painful though they